Grave Danger epilogue
by Arscapi
Summary: My muses decided that the episode didn't end with enough closure. So this is my closer to last season's finale.


Title: "Grave Danger" Epilogue

Author: Arscapi

Rating: Umm . . . I've yet to memorize the new rating system, but it's not terribly violent and nobody swears, so it's good for everyone.

Season/Spoilers: 5, and 'Grave Danger'. If you haven't seen the episode yet, what are you doing reading this! Go! Watch the episode! Then come back and read this so the story makes sense.

Disclaimer: CSI isn't mine, because if it was, there'd be lots more Nick and Greg in it. I'm not making any money, and suing me would be pointless because all you'd get are some previously loved action figures and a ton of college texts.

"I want my team back," Gil said as he watched the ambulance drive off.

Ecklie simply nodded. Greg and Sara shared a surprised glance, then nodded to each other as they turned back to the scene.

"Are we supposed to be processing?" Greg asked, unsure of what to do now that they had saved Nick. "I mean, we know who did this and he's already dead."

"Good point," Sara said quietly.

"Besides I want to go check on Nick," he said, kicking at the dirt.

"Let's go then," Grissom said, coming up behind them and startling them both.

"But the scene . . . ."

Grissom gave the area an appraising look. "I never thought I'd say this, but we'll let Days handle it." Scanning one last time, he began walking towards the car.

Greg and Sara didn't wait for him to change his mind. They jogged to catch up with him. Gil didn't say anything as he slid into the passenger seat. Sara climbed in to the driver's side and started the car as Greg slammed his door shut.

"Did anyone call his parents?" Greg asked, fidgeting with his belt buckle. "I mean, we should let them know that we have Nick and he's okay and everything."

"Brass is going to pick them up and bring them to the hospital," Gil explained. Greg nodded and settled back into his seat.

The rest of the trip was make in silence as Sara pushed the speed limit in their haste to get to the hospital. She parked as close as she could to the emergency room entrance. Greg glanced down at his watch as he climbed out of the car. "We're lucky the cops didn't pull us over. What were you doing 80, 90?"

Sara just smiled as she walked towards the sliding glass doors.

"Fill out these forms and we'll see you as soon as possible," a tired nurse said as they walked up to her desk.

"We're not sick," Greg explained as he absently motioned at the group. The nurse put down the chart she was filling out and looked at them expectantly.

"We're looking for information on a colleague," Gil declared as he removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

"His name is Nick Stokes," Sara stated matter-of-factly. She unsuccessfully tried to not look at Greg, who was standing on tip-toe in an attempt to look behind the counter for any information on Nick.

The nurse game them an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry I'm not allowed to discuss a patient's condition with anyone but family."

The group tried for a few more minutes to get some information but each request met with a decidedly less sympathetic, much more irritated nurse. When she snapped at Greg's fifth attempt to wheedle information out of her, they finally gave up and dejectedly headed towards the waiting room.

"You're already here," Warrick said, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"Yep, someone decided that we were in the Indy 500," Greg joked.

"Catherine sent me to check and see if you'd arrived yet. Nick's just down there," he said motioning down the hall where Catherine was standing.

"Hey, how come we had to wait out here but you get to stand over there?" Greg asked.

"Well, they tried to tell Catherine to wait out here, but...well let's just say Catherine won that argument. I think mostly because they were to jammed with traumas to notice that we hadn't exactly followed their instructions.

Sara looked around carefully and saw that the registering nurse was engrossed in dealing with a herd of agitated teenagers. "Shall we?"

"How is he," Gil asked as they approached Catherine.

Catherine glanced at them and then turned her attention back to the trauma room. Sara gasped as she too focused on the trauma room. Nick lay still on the table surrounded by doctors and nurses. Wires crisscrossed his body as they registered his vitals and administered medication. As she looked, she could pick out the multitude of ant bites that were scattered randomly across his chest. Her gaze snapped back to the monitors when alarms sounded.

"He's coding," one of the nurses shouted above the racket.

"He's going into shock," a doctor stated. "It's the ant bites."

"Charge the paddle," another doctor ordered. The room could only be described as organized chaos as the team of doctors and nurses sprung into action.

One nurse handed the doctor the two defibrillation paddles. "Charging 200."

"Clear," the doctor called out as she applied the paddles to the two patches that had been placed on Nick's chest. Catherine gasped as they watched Nick rise off the table slightly. The doctors and nurses all turned and looked expectantly at the monitor. When it didn't change, they repeated the process. This time however, the lines on the monitor showed a normal rhythm.

"He's stabilized," the doctor declared. "Take him up to the ICU until we know for sure how his body is going to react to the ant bites."

--------------------------------------------

Nick woke up in an unfamiliar room. He glanced around, trying to get his bearings and noticed about a dozen different bouquets of flowers crowding every available surface. He smiled at the lingering smell of his mother's perfume and knew she had been there watching over him. He was in the hospital, he reasoned, then shuddered as he remembered why he was there. A commotion in the hallway prevented him from dwelling on it any longer.

"We've waited long enough," he heard Sara say even through the closed door. "We waited until he was out of the ICU."

A male voice Nick didn't recognize spoke. Nick couldn't tell what was said but the voice obviously wasn't convinced by Sara's outburst.

"I'm Gil Grissom from the Crime Lab," Nick heard Grissom explain and smiled at the new tactic. "Nick was the victim of a crime and we need to get a statement from him."

The voice said something that must have given them access. A few seconds later, the door opened and a male nurse ushered Gil into the room. As Gil walked by, the nurse moved to close the door behind him but was prevented from doing so by Warrick's hand on the door. Warrick pushed the door open so that the whole group could walk in. The nurse frowned disapprovingly at them.

"Two minutes," Greg said as an apology.

The nurse gave his watch a pointed look and then closed the door with a huff.

Nick shifted, trying to sit up a bit more. The slight noise immediately drew the group's attention. "He's awake," Greg happily stated the obvious.

Catherine ignored the comment as she stepped forward to give Nick a hug. "Hey, Nicky. Glad you're back with us," she said quietly.

As Catherine stepped aside, Sara wrapped him in a hug. "Get well soon. We all miss you," she said pulling out of the embrace.

Nick grinned at the group. "Leave it to the ladies to make a guy feel welcome," he joked. "And don't take this the wrong way, but I thought my parents were here."

"We sent your parents back to their hotel for a decent night's sleep and some real food," Catherine explained with a smile.

Greg and Warrick came forward then and shook his hand.

"Listen man we'd love to stay, but you heard the nurse," Warrick said.

"But we'll be back," Greg said in his best Terminator voice.

With a smile, waves and many more get well wishes everyone but Grissom left the room.

"How long have I been here?" Nick asked as the group filed out.

"Three days, but the last two you spent in the ICU," Grissom said.

"The ICU? What happened," Nick asked surprised.

Grissom settled into the chair next to Nick's bed. "What do you remember?"

"I remember you telling me to keep still and then getting pulled out of that hole. After that things are kind of fuzzy," Nick said, trying to remember.

"I don't know what happened in the ambulance because Catherine and Warrick went with you. . . ."

Nick listened as Grissom told him how Sara had driven to the hospital, watching the doctors save his life in the ER, and finally about his parent's vigil while he slept. "So when can I get out of here?" he asked, suddenly anxious for his life to get back to normal.

"I think that the doctors might want to keep you another day at least. The fire ant bites sent your body into shock," Grissom explained.

Nick nodded as he absorbed the information.

"Well I'll let you get some sleep now," Grissom said heading for the door.

Nick debated with himself until Grissom was almost out the door. "Hey Gris?" Gil turned to look back at him. "When I was in the cof--when I was in the box with the ants," he shuttered. "Why'd you call me Poncho?"

Grissom shrugged. "Your father called you that while we were updating him on the case. I figured that the name coming from me would help you focus," he explained matter-of-factly.

"Oh," Nick said simply.

"But Nick, you've never let me down and I'm proud of you," Gil said as he slipped from the room.

Nick stared at the now closed door for a full minute, not sure he had actually heard those words from Grissom. Smiling as he laid back on the pillows he decided he had.

The End

A/N: Liked it/hated it why not review and let me know. :)


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